A Little Less Than Perfect
by BloomingViolet
Summary: She was a little bit less than perfect and it was killing her.


She didn't notice the stars. She didn't notice the lake. All she noticed was the darkness in her heart. She hadn't been abandoned by her friends. Her parents didn't abuse her. Yet, all she could feel was the almost tangible sadness in her that started all the way at her toes and bubbled up to her throat, nearly choking her.

After classes had ended that day, Hermione, Ron, and Harry had gone outside to study. They brought all their books and parchments and sat together under a large tree by the lake. They chatted idly about their assignments and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if Harry and Ron sensed her distress. She guessed not as they grew restless and gave up their studies and left Hermione to sit by the water's edge until well after darkness.

She knew it had to be after curfew. She couldn't bring herself to care.

"_What have I come to?"_ she thought, thinking about how her quest for perfection pushed her to the brink of insanity. She pulled her potions text toward her and slipped the razor blade from its hiding spot between the pages.

"_How fitting a hiding place,"_ she thought, letting her mind wander to her dark and brooding potions master.

She easily slid off her robes to reveal her non Hogwarts approved attire.

Sitting next to the lake, razor in hand, wearing a sunny yellow summer dress, she thought "_How ironic I chose this dress today." _

Sitting next to the lake, razor in hand, wearing a sunny yellow summer dress is how he first saw her that night. It was dark and it took Professor Snape being a mere ten feet away to see what was about to happen. She moved before he could.

In a fluid movement that looked well practiced to Snape's experienced eye, Hermione drew the razor across her wrist. Snape didn't need to see the cut to know there would be blood.

Before she could act again, Snape closed the few feet between them and grabbed her wrist. He could feel the blood seeping from her wrist onto his long, pale fingers.

"Why?" The question rolled off his tongue before he could stop it.

She blankly stared into the blank eyes staring at her. He recognized the look. It's the one someone gets when they know they've been caught.

"Tell me why, and this won't go to Albus or Pomfrey."

The answer nearly jumped from her mouth.

"Because I'm not perfect."

"No one is."

There was a heavy silence that fell between them.

Snape knew the feeling of desperation that pushed a person to cutting. He was her twenty years ago, sitting amongst everyone and feeling so alone. He couldn't watch another young person spiral down the self-destructive path.

"No I suppose not," she said quietly, trying to pull her wrist away from him. Rather than give in, Snape turned it over. Pale white scars, spider- webbing up her arm, gleamed in the moonlight. The blood from the fresh wound dripped off his finger tips onto her lap. He pulled her to her feet, ignoring the books. He led her to the castle, straight to the dungeons and into his classroom before letting go.

She had stopped bleeding. For now.

Snape pushed her into a chair and looked her dead in the eyes. "Miss Granger, let me fix your arm." He pulled out his wand.

Hermione felt something stir in her heart for the first time since the year began.

"Why?" The question rolled off her tongue before she could stop it.

The sadness in her eyes took Snape off guard. He was used to seeing sadness. He was a Deatheater after all. He just wasn't prepared to see such blatant pain in the eyes of such a bright young witch.

"Because I can't sit back and watch the smartest girl of her age fade into the darkness." The open emotion that she heard in Snape's voice caused something to snap within her. The flood gates that had been sealed shut burst open. Hermione slid to the floor and sobbed.

Snape stood next to her and let her sob for a while. When the cries became less violent, Snape reached down and turned her toward him.

"Let me help you," he whispered in her ear. She nodded slightly, desperate to feel better. Snape gently lifted the broken girl into his arms. She slid her arms around his neck and it felt right.

Snape pushed open the door to his chambers with his shoulder and laid Hermione down on his bed. He let go of her and turned away. Suddenly overcome with irrational panic, Hermione grabbed Snape's arm and cried out. "No! Don't leave."

A ghost of a smile danced over Snape's lips. He turned back to the young woman in his bed. The pair looked at each other for a long moment. Snape made the first move. He reached up to the clasp on his robes and undid it one handed. The heavy cloth dropped to the ground revealing black slacks with a button down black shirt that left a pale triangle of his chest exposed.

Hermione let out a sigh. Snape arched a dark eyebrow.

"Make me feel again. Just make me feel," Hermione whimpered.

Snape quietly went and knelt on the bed next to her. She didn't move. Snape straddled her. His lips found hers and he kissed her softly. He kissed her again roughly.

"Stop me now, now before I can't stop myself," he half begged her. She said nothing.

Snape slid his hands up her body to the neck line of her dress. Grasping it with both hands, he made a quick downward jerking movement that ripped the dress down to the bottom hem.

The sudden, almost violent movement caused Hermione to gasp. Snape lifted her up toward him, almost hugging her and slid the ripped dress of her shoulders. He stepped off the bed and she arched to let him get the dress and drop it to the floor. Hermione pushed herself up to her knees and knelt on the bed while Snape stood in front of her, his own knees pushed up against the bed frame.

Hermione's delicate fingers made quick work of the buttons of his shirt and she slid her hands into the shirt and pushed it off of him. She reached for the buckle of Snape's belt and he grabbed her hands. Bringing them to his lips, he kissed each one of her fingertips.

"Tonight, I'm supposed to make you feel," Snape said. His husky voice was too much for Hermione to bear. She dropped back to the bed, in nothing but her pink lace underthings. When she looked back on the experience, she didn't know if it was magic or the work of Snape's quick fingers that left them both naked before she could think.

Snape slipped back into bed with her. He took her all in. She was absolutely gorgeous with absolutely hideous scars crisscrossing up her arms.

She took him all in. He was absolutely gorgeous with an absolutely hideous tattoo on his forearm.

Snape took the lead. His harsh temper in the classroom was nothing like the soft movements in bed.

His fingers found Hermione's clit and be brushed it lightly. She gasped. He touched her more forcefully. She moaned. He continued with his movements. Snape slid a finger into her and she moaned again. "Yes…" she hissed.

Snape slipped another finger into her tight passageway and let his thumb fall into its natural position. He let her feel for several minutes, listening to her soft moans and pants grow and build as her pleasure built. Hermione's hands roamed all over Snape's body as he leaned down to kiss her soft lips, never stopping his ministrations between her legs.

"Oh God…" she whispered as she reached her orgasm.

"Let it happen. Let go Hermione. Just feel," Snape said, his voice thick with his own arousal. She did. She cried out as her body writhed beneath him. Her arms went around him and her fingernails sank into his well muscled back and she clenched her fists. Snape slowed his movements as she came down from her orgasm.

Snape gathered Hermione in his arms and they lay there together for a few minutes. When Hermione rolled into him, her thigh brushed against his hardness and she gasped.

Snape smirked, showing the man she was used to. Hermione looked at his body and then looked at his face and nodded. He didn't need anything more than that. Snape swiftly rolled on top of her again and lowered his lips to her pert breasts with tight nipples. He licked and nipped, sucked and swirled around her nipples until she was practically sobbing with desire.

"Please!" she cried out, arching her back and pushing her deeper into his mouth.

Snape moved his lips up to her own, seemingly ignoring her plea. He trapped her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked.

He didn't need to ask if she was a virgin. She didn't need to tell him. It was understood.

Without warning, Snape pushed himself into her, causing her to cry out against his lips. He was gentle enough not to cause unnecessary pain, and she didn't wait long before moving against him, giving him his cue.

He made her feel all night. He catered to her every need, eventually taking his cues from her unabashed directions. Hermione was brought to climax over and over as Snape moved in her, causing her to cry out her contentment.

"Severus!" she screamed out, tears of sheer emotion dripping down her cheeks, as he brought them both to their final orgasms. He pulled out and muttered a spell to clean her up, then kissed the tears away. They lay in each other's arms for a long while. Hermione thought that Snape had fallen asleep after awhile. Her breathing softened and she drifted off. Just as she fell into a deeper slumber, she heard his soft baritone voice.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Perfect," she whispered.

Snape smiled softly, rather pleased with himself.


End file.
